Effect of SNS Characteristics for Dining Out on Customer Satisfaction and Online Word of Mouth

Abstract

This study aims to determine how the quality characteristics of a restaurant SNS (social network service), which is rapidly growing, affect user satisfaction and how user satisfaction affects intention to visit and word of mouth. A total of 305 people responded to the survey conducted from May 9, 2021 to August 17, 2021. The validity and reliability of variables were verified. Moreover, confirmatory factor analysis and discriminant validity analysis were performed through structural equation modeling, and hypotheses were verified through path analysis. The analysis results were as follows. Among the quality characteristics of dining out SNS, reliability, playfulness, convenience, and customization were analyzed to have a statistically significant positive effect on customer satisfaction. However, interactivity does not have a significant effect. Moreover, customer satisfaction has a positive impact on the intention to visit and word-of-mouth intention, and intention to visit also has a positive effect on word-of-mouth intention. Restaurant companies should supplement their SNS marketing strategies, considering the critical factors when consumers use SNS for dining out. This study analyzed the factors that consumers value among the quality characteristics of SNS for dining out and provided meaningful implications. Although most of the previous studies investigated only the effect of the quality characteristics of dining out SNS on satisfaction and revisit intention, this study has originality because it also investigated the word of mouth of customers.